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Mass Protests in Iraq

Today is the second anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. Here are pictures of the tens of thousands of protesters who took to the streets, demanding the U.S. leave the country.

Chanting "No! No to terrorism!" and "No! No to America," thousands of supporters of a radical Shiite cleric who once led uprisings against U.S. troops called Saturday for American forces to withdraw from Iraq, staging a massive protest at the same square where - two years ago to the day - protesters pulled down a towering statue of ousted Saddam Hussein.

More on the protests here.

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    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#1)
    by soccerdad on Sat Apr 09, 2005 at 07:47:10 PM EST
    You have to look at this picture. The whole pulling down of Saddam's statue was staged and the only Iraqis neer the statue was 150 of Chalabi's toads

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Apr 09, 2005 at 07:54:29 PM EST
    I guess democracy is messy, but I keep wondering if the Iraqis were told that they were expected to greet US troops as liberators?

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Apr 09, 2005 at 07:59:36 PM EST
    The poster that says: 'Saddam-Bush: two sides of the same coin' is about as clear a repudiation of Abu Ghraib and the machinations of political slaughter of opposition (Fallujah) as can be made. Bush. Hussein, Allawi= What's the Difference? Illegal Government by Brutal Dictators.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#4)
    by desertswine on Sat Apr 09, 2005 at 08:24:11 PM EST
    "I will be surprised, yet again, if we do not see a square in Baghdad named after this president." - Richard Perle
    Say... that's not George W Bush Square is it?

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#5)
    by Johnny on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 01:13:51 AM EST
    Yeah but... Yeah but... Yeah but... Yeah but, they are so much better off now, if they could only see how stupid they are for not realizing our presence is the greatest thing since sliced bread... yeah but... yeah but...

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 06:11:54 AM EST
    I agree totally with Johnny. If you're gonna be tortured, mutilated, or murdered, better it be done in the service of a good cause like the spread of Bush-style democracy.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 06:25:33 AM EST
    et al - Yes, they are. Why? Because they can demonstrate and not be killed. Because they can have elections and not have one person win it by 100%. And no, there are no rape rooms, and no roving groups of thugs working for the government ready to pounce if someone says something against the government. It is amazing that you don't have the vaguest idea of what I an talking about in the above. It is obvious that you are either just anti-war to the point you have no balance, or just someone who hates Bush, or hates America, thus everything Bush does, or America does, is wrong. What a country we have. Your words define you, the fact that you can say them free of fear shows the world how strong we are.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#8)
    by John Mann on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 06:56:53 AM EST
    You're a fool, Jim. ------------------------------------------------------------ TL, I apologize for the personal attack, but I am sick of this clown's nonsense.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#9)
    by john horse on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 07:17:27 AM EST
    I think these demonstrators are in agreement with George Bush. You cannot have free elections if you are being occupied by foreign troops.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 07:18:19 AM EST
    What John Mann said.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 07:35:15 AM EST
    John Mann CA - Attack away. Only accept the facts of what I wrote. The demonstrations reflect the fact that they are free. You can mouth, you can complain, but truth is truth. So you have no come back, no argument. Attack away. It proves my point.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#12)
    by Sailor on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 08:05:04 AM EST
    And no, there are no rape rooms, and no roving groups of thugs working for the government ready to pounce if someone says something against the government. What planet are you living on? The us and iraqis have roving groups of thugs breaking down people's doors and hauling them off to secret detentions. We raped and abused innocents in abu ghraib and elsewhere. There are mass graves of civilians from our bombing of cities, including deliberately targeting hospitals. Iraq is under marshall law and media outlets are censored if not shut down completely. In this country if you have a t-shirt or bumpersticker the admin disagrees with you can be excluded from public events and detained. The admin claims it can lock up any american they want to and never give them access to courts or even release their names. The religous extremists, including those in congress, advocate killing judges and want to criminalize speech and behavior they disagree with, and bush endorses them. The difference between saddam and bush is a matter of degree, not substance.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#13)
    by theologicus on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 08:05:47 AM EST
    Let us congratulate those whose points are always proven, no matter how often they are shown to be wrong. Beautiful.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#14)
    by John Mann on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 08:25:29 AM EST
    No, it doesn't prove your point, Clown - unless your point is that it's ok for hundreds of thousands to die, be wounded or maimed and made homeless so they can enjoy your Jacksonian vision of "democracy".

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#15)
    by kdog on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 09:43:56 AM EST
    Good for the protesters, and I hope they get their wish.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#16)
    by Peaches on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 09:49:29 AM EST
    CA and John Mann, The old man is a fool. You just need to ignore him. I had hoped he'd go away by now. However, it looks like we will just have to wait. You want a nice description of the old man by an intellectual black man, check out Randall RObinson's Quitting America. The old [white] man is the face of America and will gladly see the world annilated before he gives up his distorted world view. He thinks America is nothing if it is not in war. We don't hate America. We hate the old man. Unfortuneately, it is the old man who runs America. He has for over two hundred years. But, for the last fifty, he's systematically stripped away our memories in school and replaced them with Rush, O'reilly, Maury, Fox, CNN, Ricky, CBS, ABC, Howard, Jenny, Jerry, Knght Ridder, FCC, Clear Channel, etc. . It's so easy to do. Now, he wants to tell us who we are. What America is. He's a fool--the old man--a dangerous fool. I'm afraid he's not going away anytime soon. He won't be content until he's killed us all. He call's himself a social-liberal--the old man, and Bush defends a culture of life. If that isn't enough to make you piss your pants, I don't know what is. I want to laugh at the old man. But, at the same time he makes me so sad. Sad for America, Sad for my country, sad for the world, sad for humanity. The old man is a fool, but what are we to do?

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#17)
    by john horse on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 10:08:12 AM EST
    As I've said before, the paradox of our occupation is that the longer we stay in Iraq, the weaker we become. Six months ago conservatives like PPJ would be advocating death for all of Sadr's followers. Now he is reduced to trying to cast a positive spin on an anti-American protest (you know that some of these protesters fought and killed American servicemen).

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#18)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 10:58:56 AM EST
    Even before opening this comment section, I knew what I would find. Once again, I thank my lucky stars that I have the wherewithal to see through the leftist ignorance, to live on a higher moral plane than these brainwashed idiots. Be glad Jim, that they rail against you. They only prove their pathetic unworthiness to be Americans. You are above them. Stupid to the grave is their fate. Ugh!

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#19)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 11:14:31 AM EST
    Once again, the lefties rejoice and collectively swoon on the slightest whiff that our endeavours in Irak is off track. Nevermind that this is an Iranian orchestrated charade put fourth by a small Shiite faction. And is magnified out of proportion by the News Media for your consumption.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#20)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 11:21:59 AM EST
    Sailor - I have never said that this country is perfect, but it is by far the best in the world. Did we do wrong in some of the prisons? Yes, to a degree. But it wasn't formalized, and it is, and has been, investigated, with punishment handed out. That never happened in Iraq, or at least not until we arrived. Your complaint about bumper stickers is laughable. Should it have happened? No. Has it happened before, under Democratic administrations. Yes. Does that excuse it? No, but I never heard the Left protest about it before, so your anger must be against the Repubs, and not against the act itself. John H - I am not a conservative. I am a true liberal. A social liberal I call myself, who believes in liberal issues and liberal causes. The shame is that the Left stole the name, and the Repubs won't let'em give it back. JFK, Humphrey, Truman, Roosevelt... They would laugh at you. Peaches - I don't know what you are to do. Your belief system is rooted, I guess, in an anti-war philsophy that the vast majority of the country totally rejects, and your rants are always centered around some social injustice that happened years and years ago. And you always reluctantly bring in the personal attacks. That's funny. You remind of the high sheriff of my youth who always reluctantly found some way to side with the land owners. You have become your enemy. Hatred does that. And you complain about the media, yet I see nothing you offer. My generation, and perhaps your generation's parents, sang hyms. What does your generation sing? I hear no condemnation of rap, of the words and lyrics that offer no hope, just complaints and slurs. Yes, peaches, what are you to do? You hate what is, but have no vision of what could be. And you are quite willing to think that other countries will never attack us.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#21)
    by theologicus on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 11:50:31 AM EST
    You are quite willing to think that other countries will never attack us. Our war crimes in Iraq -- from systematic torture, to the indiscriminate killing of civilians, to the devastation of hospitals and entire cities, to the plundering of oil, to the disregard of ancient cultural monuments and the pilfering of cultural artifacts, to the poisoning of the earth with depleted uranium, to the desecration of Islam itself -- make it a moral certainty that our country will be attacked again. The basis is being laid for a "clash of civilizations," unnecessary and woeful as it is, that could last for hundreds of years.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#22)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 12:44:48 PM EST
    Greg Palast via the BBC quotes the former CEO of Shell Oil that the Bush Administration argued over TWO plans to privatize Iraqi oil -- in 2001, moments after taking power. Steal What You Can, Kill Who You Want Wow, that 911 time warp changed things nearly a year before it occured! This, then, is the Day that Changed the World: November 7, 2000. The day a Supreme Court coup put oil and military services conspirators into the White House. Not that they didn't complain about getting the duty -- Diebold wouldn't make that mistake twice. Triad would, getting caught stealing Ohio 04 -- but that's just the minor leagues in felony conspiracy and treason. The suggestion that people can protest, so therefore they are free is easy to counter, along with the silly twit who said it -- think of South Africa, during the decades of protest during Apartheid. Was Apartheid freedom? Liar Jim says it was. Then Quack Ace joins in, on a higher moral plane, not splattered like those tens of thousands of families,who are mostly on the ... vertical planes of their kitchen walls, though there may be some guts hanging from what is left of the ceiling as well. War frees the dead. Liars never check their answers. Illegal government is not for the people, certainly not the troops, but for the few who have profited, and the arse-kissing swine which follow behind.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#23)
    by Sailor on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 01:04:40 PM EST
    But it wasn't formalized, and it is, and has been, investigated, with punishment handed out. Uh, no, it was formalized (see torture memos), and only a few low level folks were indicted, everyone else, even when it was proved they lied to congress, got a pass. provide links for bumper stickers getting rethugs thrown out of public events. I personally would be among the first to condemn it. You lie, lie, lie about being a 'true liberal', you constantly parrot the latest rnc talking points, you believe in torture, you believe in 'rendition', you believe in holding american citizens without bail, access to courts or even notification of families. This cheap debating trick is beneath contempt and no one who has ever read 2 of your posts would think you were ever a liberal. JFK, Truman, HHH and FDR had a lot more in common with JH than with any viewpoint you have ever expoused, tho oddly enough they would have disagreed quite vehemently with each other. This country was founded on the best principles in the world, but this government has betrayed them.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#24)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 01:45:41 PM EST
    lol Jim, business as usual in Happybushlandia. They're protesting against the US and you measure that as success, that's funny.. I guess you feel the same way when Iranians are expressing their freedom by burning American flags. Because they can demonstrate and not be killed Reality: Iraq is (a) free (fire zone), nobody is safe. It will take ages (if ever) to fix that nation. Yes Wolfie, it was so hard to imagine.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#25)
    by john horse on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 01:48:42 PM EST
    PPJ, According to Boquisucio "this (demonstration) is an Iranian orchestrated charade put fourth by a small Shiite faction". And here you were celebrating it. Why do you hate America? Ace, Time to land that "higher moral plane" and come back to earth with the rest of us mortals.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#26)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 02:06:19 PM EST
    Ioannes Equinus, PPJ's post and mine are not mutually exclusive. The Iranians pull the strings, and their Shiite clients do the dancing. Both the Iraki Provisional Government and the US Occupation Forces permit this to happen, so as to permit freedom of assembly, and expression.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#27)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 02:07:20 PM EST
    sailor - Quit putting words in my mouth. I have never said we should hold all Americans citizens without bail, although some crimes dictate no bail. Surely that isn't news to you. And you can show no posts were I have said I agreed with rendition, although in several cases I questioned the accuser, especially the use of "weasle" words in the statements. Your problem is you think that to be a liberal you must be anti-war and anti-US. Not true, sailor. Not true. theo - Your charges are shotgunned. Did you miss anything? Are we also responsible for flat feet and bad breath? Those killed can blame Saddam. First for invading Kuwait, and then for not following the agreement's he signed to remain in power. And even then, for not leaving with his family and fortune when he could have before the invasion. I wonder who was whispering in his ear that a "deal" could be made. France? Germany? Russia? Whoever, wrong. And we descreated Islam? What nonsense. Those who sawed off heads while shouting, "God Is Great!" did that. Like it or not Theo, Bush's strategy appears to be working. Not perfectly, and not smoothly, but as life itself does, in fits and spurts. The peoples of the ME are getting a taste of democracy, and they like it. PIL - Typical moonbat response. Can't disagree or make a point without the vulgar personal attack. You are so transparent it is amusing. Everyone but PIL is a liar, a racist, a... PIL, I've made this point before, but I doubt if you have the capability of understanding. But, I'll try one more time. We have war plans to do all sorts of things. I would guess we even have a plan to invade Mexico, and I would guess that we certainly had several plans to invade Iraq, and I would guess we had disagreements on how to do it and what to do. It is reasonable and proper, otherwise, what do you do when you need to actually do something. But, hey, you want to believe what you want to believe, and you will never let reality or experience enter into your mind. As for the protest comment. Among other things you act as if the world was a debating society, and all you have to do is bring some off the wall example, and all is okay. The fact is, though, that my comment was specifcally about Iraq. Can you tell us that you think they could have done this under Saddam? PIL, if the US is so evil, why hasn't there been a knock on your door? And you mention the troops. Somehow, I doubt that they would accept you if you volunteered.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#28)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 02:25:32 PM EST
    Lurkers, I submit for your perusal the lurid proof contained in the posts above, of what becomes of those too brainwashed to think for themselves. Look and learn, and avoid their pathetic fate. Jim and Boq, I admire your patience with these exotic leftist creatures. I no longer have any interest in suffering them gladly. I see them as something to make an example of to the observers on this site.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#29)
    by theologicus on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 02:27:08 PM EST
    Did you miss anything? I left out quite a lot, actually. For example:  Children 'Starving' in New Iraq  BBC Thursday 31 March 2005     Increasing numbers of children in Iraq do not have enough food to eat and more than a quarter are chronically undernourished, a UN report says.     Malnutrition rates in children under five have almost doubled since the US-led intervention - to nearly 8% by the end of last year, it says.     The report was prepared for the annual meeting of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva.     It also expressed concern over North Korea and Sudan's Darfur province.     UN specialist on hunger Jean Ziegler, who prepared the report, blames the worsening situation in Iraq on the war led by coalition forces.     He was addressing a meeting of the 53-nation commission, the top UN rights watchdog, which is halfway through its annual six-week session.     When Saddam Hussein was overthrown, about 4% of Iraqi children under five were going hungry; now that figure has almost doubled to 8%, his report says. Of course none of this is sufficient to offset all the happy talk about how successful Bush's policies are.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#30)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 02:47:06 PM EST
    Theo is hereby informed that if this is a fact, the "insurgents" are to blame. The BBC is not a credible news source. They are also "reporting" on "elections" in Zimbabwe, without giving any information about the voter fraud being committed by the regime in power there.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#31)
    by theologicus on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 02:55:21 PM EST
    If only the insurgents would just accept our imperilaism, they might learn to enjoy dirnking Coke. BBC for its part is of course much less reliable than Fox News. Any bearers of bad news are unreliable. As Cassandra found out.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#32)
    by soccerdad on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 03:01:43 PM EST
    Just ignore these lunatics. They decry us for having a closed mind, yet it is they who accept no evidence that is contrary to their "reality". They portray a "better than thou" attitude as if it us who are crazy. As more and more gets peeled away and more and more gets shown to be lies and BS they will yell louder and louder that we are the idiots. They will not let their illusion die easily because they despise us so. They have no knowledge of whats going on, reject everything out of hand that is contrary to their beliefs, rail on about conspiracy theories, iran in this case, excuse the brutality, the war crimes, deny the real reason for the war. They will probablt go to their graves believing in WMDs and the evil of leftists everywhere. Now the tearing down of saddams statute has been shown to be a fraud, the reasons for going to war were a fraud. I think we just ought to ignore them, they are a sorry and pathetic lot, who have no sense of reality and despise all of us and what we stand for. In my mind this applies only to the 4 regular wingers who do nothing but denigrate everyone here without bringing anything to the table. I find them worse than trolls.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#33)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 03:03:27 PM EST
    It´s O.K. Ace. Even boxers take a seat between rounds. Take five and rejoin the good fight.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#34)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 04:24:01 PM EST
    SD - As usual, everyone is wrong except you. Theo - I don't remember Fox having a scandal like BBC. Do you? Did I miss one? Starving children? By whose numbers? The UN's? Please. No child should starve, but let's not be using numbers from this discredited organization. Oil for food scandal, child-sex by peace keepers, the list just goes on and on, and you should be ashamed to even mention their name. And yes, the terrorists who go around blowing up car bombds and other nifty tricks bear a lot of blame. But hey, why should blame terrorists? SD says they don't exist.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#35)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 05:35:29 PM EST
    Jim, lying: "PIL - "We have war plans to do all sorts of things." What a revelation! So when the USPNAC Bushies said that there were no plans to privatize Iraqi oil, that was a lie told as part of a war plan? When Bush said that "war is not inevitable," that was a lie told to Congress as part of a plan of war? That when Cheney said that it was certain that Hussein was putting the finishing touches on his nukes, that was a lie told as part of a plan of war? Yeah, you have to have plans. And people willing to LIE for the illegal, unconstitutional, demonstrably corrupt actions in conspiratorial plans held quite outside of any concern for justice, the right to peace, the right to be secure in our houses, the right to be ruled by a government of our own choosing, the right...hell, you already know you're a liar. "As for the protest comment. Among other things you act as if the world was a debating society, and all you have to do is bring some off the wall example," Apartheid is not a distant example. It is very similar -- a population rising up not to celebrate their bondage to a military police force, but to INSIST that it LEAVE. And meanwhile the Apartheid forces went around killing political enemies -- such as in Fallujah. And then when Kissinger says, "There is no more Iraq; there will be three territories," that was a lot like Apartheid too. Invading a country with the PLAN to dismantle the country is a plan of GENOCIDE under international law. "Can you tell us that you think they could have done this under Saddam?" Can you yet tell us who put Hussein into power? Who ARMED Hussein with chemical and biological arms? Who covered for him at the UN when there was a move to sanction his crimes? ANSWERS: The CIA; Ronald Reagan and Bush's father. Indeed, the arms sales by the Bush White House continued until 1992. "PIL, if the US is so evil, why hasn't there been a knock on your door?" Like so many others? It's hilarious that you really think there is an argument in that direction, when the power of the police state Bush has set up is already holding American citizens without habeas corpus, and when the Patriot Act II which was leaked specifically would give the government the right to strip citizenship without a hearing, without notice, to arrest and deport ANYONE, without notice to families, lawyers, or judges. Well, those are just PLANS, and everyone knows you have to have plans for everything, even for violating the Constitution in all of its parts, and plunging the US into martial law. Like when the general said that if there was another terrorist attack, the nation would DEMAND suspension of the Constitution and imposition of martial law. The same general later said that he really enjoyed killing Arabs. I'm sure he's say the same thing about American protesters. "But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism..."

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#36)
    by john horse on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 06:07:13 PM EST
    This isn't some "small Shiite faction" that is "magnified out of proportion by the mass media". According to the LA Times, the actual number of protesters may be 300,000. Juan Cole says that even if the number were half of this, this would still be "the largest popular demonstrations in Iraq since 1958!" What we have here is an indication of popular sentiment in Iraq. We continue to occupy Iraq against the wishes of its people.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#38)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 10:59:06 PM EST
    Well, Jim, that's so non-responsive --AGAIN-- that it should just stand for all to see, how pathetic your excuses really are. I thought it over, and though you do lie, mainly you aren't so much a liar as someone hiding from the facts. Among those facts is that you condone racism in all its ugliness as long as it is wrapped in hyper-nationalism ("My Preznit Right or Wrong"). You see no malfeasance in attacking an innocent country with two plans (with the corporations onboard) to privatize the oil while claiming to the Congress and the People that there are no such plans. And the way you hide from the facts I posted, is you pretend that I think the invasion was over 'oil,' when I have made it very clear that I am certain it was over the USPNAC plan, namely AIRBASES. Which is exactly what Kerry told the American people in the first debate, just before his landslide victory was mopped up with the Diebold sponge. Oil is just the grease that runs the machinery of that colonial effort. Bush and his minions SPECIFICALLY denied there were any plans to privatize Iraqi oil. Now we find that the former CEO of Shell lost his job as head of Conoco because he refused to indulge in such planning (replaced by someone who would), and that there were indeed TWO such plans at the time Bush lied. That's LYING TO THE CONGRESS AND THE PEOPLE, and it is impeachable malfeasance, were this not a coup. We weren't allowed to find out what went on in Cheney's 'energy meetings' in 2001. Now we are starting to find out. And the truth is just as ugly as we suspected.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#39)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 11:40:28 PM EST
    hey Jim you old dimwit, what are ya smokin? Do think that the standard we established in Iraq is a reasonable one for behavior of nations in a world community? Do ya think that Iraq was not invaded and conquered? Do ya think we are not occupying that country and intend to do so for a lOONG time to come? Do ya not think that Oil is why we're there? Do ya have any evidence to suggest that things are better in Iraq for them having had tens of thousands killed by us, and whole towns blown to smithereens? Do you think that more starving and dying children is a good thing? Do ya think that the disasterous damage to their infrastructure is fixed? Do ya think that we have created more friends or enemies in the world...do ya not think that more money has been stolen and wasted in Iraq by US contractors than Kofi Annan's son ever dreamed of? ..... Jim, Jim you ******. Go back to Fox News. Come back with more of their good ideas, you ***. [Name-calling deleted.]

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#40)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 07:21:33 AM EST
    While you all sit here and argue about what's happening in Iraq, do any of you bother to sit back and take a look at the good old USA? We have starving children, homeless people, unemployed, no health insurance and dying because of it, children killing their parents, parnets killing their children.... I could keep on going but by now I hope you get the BIG picture. How can we possibly help anyone else, and as a country we can't even take care of ourselves!

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#41)
    by brad on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 11:02:16 AM EST
    mwf that is the most sense anyone has made on this site for awhile and i am glad you said it. i do have to say i was for the war just becaus of saddam and now i wish we would get out since that is what everyone wants. that way they can all go to crying because were not there to babysit anymore and things are going back to the way it was. this is a loose loose situation either way. they are all going to keep complaining about somthing because that is what they like to do.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#42)
    by kdog on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 11:02:46 AM EST
    That's part of the reason we invaded Iraq, so this crooked admin. can get away with murder on the home front, while the citizenry is distracted with war, gay marriage, and poor Terri Schiavo.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#43)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 11:04:50 AM EST
    PIL - You old softy. So now I'm not really a liar. Okay. What's next? I'm also not a racist? PIL, I have watched the Left scream about how bad our war plans were, and now I find you screaming that we had war plans. Look. Can you folks just make up your minds? MWF - Excellent point. Problem is, the first duty of government is to protect the country. That takes precedent over all else. Now, if you want to strip out a lot of fat and refocus on core issues, let's do it.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#44)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 11:05:22 AM EST
    above by me

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#45)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 02:13:34 PM EST
    "MWF - Excellent point. Problem is, the first duty of government is to protect the country. That takes precedent over all else." 911: TWO fighter jets fly. Bush has ignored at least 50 warnings, some quite explicit, without even warning the airlines to increase security. Since Bush screwed the pooch on "the first duty of government," why didn't he RESIGN? Because HIS first duty is to his pals in the war and oil industries. And his second duty is to NEVER admit a single error, because it makes the Kool-Aid taste bad, and then Jim has a hard time blowing his arse kisses.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#46)
    by jondee on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 02:56:46 PM EST
    Bush didnt resign because it was ALL that degenerate Clintons fault. Somehow. "Protecting the country" is a flaccid,bumpersticker abstraction when your actions show that you could give a flying rats a** about a very large number of ACTUAL citizens.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#47)
    by jondee on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 03:05:16 PM EST
    Ace - You typing on the computer in the day room? Dont forget to take your meds. Be careful though,some of the nurses are proven communists.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#48)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 04:24:01 PM EST
    PIL - That has nothing to do with the thread, but: From the Rice interview. "We convened on 5 July a special meeting of " ... "...the FBI, Secret Service, FAA, Customs, Coast Guard, and Immigration. .We asked that they take special measures to increase security and surveillance. Thus, the White House did ensure that domestic law enforcement including the FAA knew that the CSG believed that a major al Qaeda attack was coming, and it could be in the U.S., and did ask that special measures be taken." I'm lol, PIL.

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#49)
    by jondee on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 04:46:18 PM EST
    PPJ - The only U.N youre interested in is the U.S of N. Thats fairly obvious and its not a new idea - those of us that didnt just fall off the turnip truck have been hearing that right-wing crapola for years. Btw,can you link to anything that isnt Fox,NewsMax,American Spectator? You know,some outlet that at least makes a show of having some objectivity?

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#50)
    by Richard Aubrey on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 06:21:04 PM EST
    "Mass", alright. This is the crew who couldn't round up enough votes to get a seat in parliament. I guess turning out a mob trumps votes in leftyland, huh?

    Re: Mass Protests in Iraq (none / 0) (#51)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 07:26:20 PM EST
    Good point, RA. It's what they DO that we judge 'em by, not what they say...